Good Evening Families,

Clocks have changed, and evenings are longer–with 80 degree temperatures over the weekend, it is surely beginning to feel like Spring! 

We are already beginning to prepare for the 2026-27 school year. If your family anticipates a change (i.e. moving, sabbatical) or have already moved out of the GWM boundary or region, will you please reach out with an email to alert us (an email is non-binding–it just helps us plan). You can email me directly, jennifer_aguilar@dpsnc.net.

We have our March virtual School Improvement Team meeting on Thursday–all are welcome! Here is the meeting link:

Microsoft Teams

Join the meeting now  Meeting ID: 220 121 304 150 7 Passcode: nu2hG6vi

Have a great week and we hope to see you around George Watts Montessori soon!

The George Watts Montessori School Spring Carnival and Ga-Ga Ball Tournament will take place on Saturday, April 25, from 11am - 2pm on the George Watts playground.

Please mark your calendar, and spread the word to friends and family!  All are welcome to this wonderful event that supports our school, deepens connections, and promises smiles. 

There will be games and prizes, activity stations, food, The Mad Popper popcorn, music, touch-a-truck, and more!

It's a team effort to make the carnival a success. As you are able, here's how you can help:

Volunteer! 

Many hands make for light work, and there is a task and timeframe for everyone who is able to help. Click here to raise your hand; thank you!

Prize Donations!

Watts has an Earth-friendly tradition of collecting pre-owned toys, books, and games that are in sufficient shape to be 'recycled' as prizes for the carnival games. If you're willing to do a little 'spring cleaning' to set aside items that have run their course with your children but may bring joy to others, that would be wonderful!  Past treasures include such things as matchbox cars, small figurines, dolls, books, gently used stuffies, art kits, board games, toys, and balls. Details about where and when to deliver items will be shared in the season ahead. 

Props for the Photo Booth!  

If you have props, costumes, accessories, shiny or silly dress-up clothes like feather boas, hats, mustaches, etc., please consider donating them for the photo booth (no heirloom items please, as they won't be returned, but used in carnivals to come).

Business Sponsor Leads!

As you have local businesses in your life who you'd be willing to invite to serve as a carnival sponsor, we'd love to hear from you. This is a great way for businesses to gain exposure and spread their community spirit!

Thank you for saving the date for our Spring Carnival, and enlarging the joy of the community with the gift of your presence!

Please feel free to reach out if I can answer any questions.

PTA Workday next weekend:  please join the PTA Grounds Committee on Sunday, March 15th, anytime from 1pm-3pm for a GW grounds tidy up.  Bring the whole family! Kids are welcome to hang out and play while parents work and socialize. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

We will be cleaning up debris on the playground, fixing up the gardens ahead of spring, and churning the fossil pit. If you have a wheelbarrow, cart, or wagon of some kind, they are always useful when hauling things to Urban Ave. 

Neighbors and student helpers (past and present) are always welcome!

Why chronic absenteeism matters (even when excused): 

We know from the past few weeks, that attendance matters, and chronic absenteeism is impacted by both unexcused and excused absences. At the same time, when a child is sick, we want them to focus on getting better and staying home. When should a student stay home? DPS provides the following guidance:

Does your child feel well enough to participate in school? Symptoms that may prevent participation:

- Lethargic or significant loss of appetite

- Persistent headache, body aches, earache

- Persistent sneezing

- Sore throat - A minor sore throat is usually not a problem, but a severe sore throat could be strep throat or other illness even if there is no fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache, stomach upset, or rash. Contact your healthcare provider if your child has any of these symptoms.

Could other children get sick from your child?

Fever- Keep your child home if they have a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher. Keep your child at home until the fever is gone for 24 hours without medication.

Diarrhea- If your child has 3 or more loose stools within 24 hours they need to stay home.

Vomiting- Keep your child home if they have vomited 2 or more times within the past 24 hours.

Cough- A mild cough does not always mean that a child needs to stay home. If the cough is constant, your child has other symptoms above, or it causes problems breathing your child should stay home.

Enjoy 20% off everything at Minted using our exclusive code and they'll donate 10% of sales back to us! https://www.minted.com/ OUR CODE IS: FUNDRAISEGWATTS

Search through previous issues at https://www.georgewattspta.org/watts-weekly